Killing Family
by Fangs of Lightning
Summary: Prompt: Rose confronts Lunarre all by herself, to fight and kill him.


I have a hard time with fight scenes.

Killing Family

It was the middle of the night. The perfect time to face someone who had hurt and betrayed you. For murder. Rose took a breath and kept walking. The uniform she usually wore with pride felt unfitting. The daggers strapped to her lower back felt heavier than usual. There wasn't any time for hesitation now. Lunarre would answer her questions, then she would... kill him...

The thought of it made her sick.

Hellion or not, he was still family. That wasn't something she could easily shove aside.

Walking down the steps to the plaza, Rose stared at Lunarre. She'd never gotten used to the changes hellionization had caused. The longer hair... pointed ears... even his facial structure had changed. But the most startling change was that grin. It wasn't like him. The Lunarre she knew hadn't been confident enough for that.

"So good of you to show up, Boss."

"This isn't like you." Rose refused to reach for her daggers. Not until it was necessary.

Lunarre looked around the area as if confused, finally settling his gaze back on her.

"I belong in the dark, don't I?"

"You're family, Lunarre. How could you-"

Lunarre's laughter- higher than she was used to and not him at all- interrupted her. He clapped his hands and smiled at her with such amusement she wanted to slap him. This wasn't funny.

"That's a good one. I'm no more a part of your family than those hellions you purify. Just another monster for you to destroy."

Rose blinked in disbelief and tried to think of something- anything- besides how much those words hurt. Did he not realize how much he'd meant to her? To all of them?

"What are you talking about?"

"You never cared about me." Lunarre looked at one of his gloved hands with a frown. "I was always expendable... Just some idiot you'd picked up somewhere. And when I did get stronger, when I wasn't screwing up?"

The flames Lunarre threw in her direction weren't anything to worry about. Just a half-hearted attack with no intent to actually hit her. Rose drew her daggers anyway, gripping them too tightly.

"You told me I still wasn't doing my job properly. Nothing I ever did was good enough for you was it, Boss?"

The fist colliding with her stomach knocked all the wind out of her and she stumbled back. He was faster now; she had to remember that. Swiping the blade at him had no effect. Lunarre simply jumped back with another of his laughs. Flames nearly caught her that time, singeing her uniform as she rolled to avoid them. Now that he'd attacked, there was no doubt in her mind where this was going to lead.

Taking a breath to steel herself and running forward, she ducked under Lunarre's next attack and sliced. The blade cut clean through the cloth, but didn't do nearly enough damage to him. Just how much better had hellionization made him? It shouldn't have been this hard.

"You should have taken me by surprise if you wanted to kill me."

"I don't want to kill you!"

Rose didn't mean for it to come out as high as it did, her voice a near screech as she jumped back to avoid more of those damned flames. That had been too close; she'd obviously come to depend on the others too much in her time with them. Lunarre was looking at her, one brow raised and a gleeful smile stretching across his face.

"Am I strong enough for you now?"

Damn him. He knew how she fought. Lunarre had been her sparring partner more often than anyone else after he joined. More for him than anything else, but that didn't change how well he knew her tactics. Rose snarled and glared at him. This is why traitors were so hated. If she could use the power of a seraph... No. The only one with a right to be involved was dead.

"What's the matter? Can't kill me without your friends? You used to be stronger. A real force to be feared."

Clearly, hellionization had made him arrogant. That could be used against him.

"You may have sold your soul to get more power, but I can still take you no problem." Rose stood straighter and forced a smirk onto her face. "So you can throw a few flames around- no big deal."

The change in Lunarre's expression was impressive. Of course, that red... paint... she didn't know, made him appear to be smiling. He snarled at her, more fearsome and animalistic than even Dezel could've achieved, and attacked her again. It had worked too well, especially for a plan made on the spot. Rose chalked it up to how well she knew him as a hand grabbed her throat. Just as planned. Flames gathered in the other, building larger and casting a glow on Lunarre. That hadn't been part of the plan.

"I'll make sure the rest of your fake family joins you soon."

There. Rose moved her arm while the opening was there, slashing at his throat. Lunarre dropped her and moved back as she had predicted. She didn't give herself a moment to breathe, leaping forward to slam into him and force him to the ground. The fall knocked the breath out of him, or maybe that was the knee she'd made sure to put extra weight on. He seemed dazed as he looked at her and she reminded herself of what he'd done. Betrayed them and sold them out to the authorities... Rose ignored the tears in her eyes and the shaking of her arms. This had to be done.

"May these weary bones find peaceful rest."

Driving the blade into his heart was the hardest thing she'd ever done. She fell, refusing to release her grip on the knife. Hot tears ran down her cheeks, falling to his face as she leaned over and closed his eyes with shaking fingers. Gently pressing a kiss to his forehead before climbing off him and pulling her dagger out. As much as she didn't want to leave him, there wasn't any time.

Rose wiped her face on the sleeve of her uniform and turned away. There was still more to do. The rest of her family still needed her. She could grieve properly once that was done.


End file.
